Perhaps a confluence of larger public and private incentives will help EV reach the tipping point north of the border. Canadian consumers are now privy to company, provincial and dealership incentives that could total more than C$12,000 ($11,200 US) for battery-electric cars such as the Smart ForTwo ED and Ford Focus Electric.

With Canadian gas prices pushing towards the $5-a-gallon equivalent (or about a third more than US gas prices), prevailing wisdom would say that Canadians would be more amenable to plug-in vehicles than their American counterparts, but it's slow going, Canada'sGlobe and Mail says, citing J.D. Power & Associates' Brian Murphy. Advanced-powertrain vehicles account for about five percent of new vehicle sales in the Great White North. Last year, Americans bought about 540,000 hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles out of about 15.6 million total light-duty vehicles sold, or about 3.5 percent.

Ford and Daimler's Smart division are trying to spur the Canadian numbers with company incentives, and there may be some groundswell behind that. This spring, Montreal was the site of what was, at the time, the world's largest single collection of plug-in vehicles after 431 of their drivers met up, according to the Electric Vehicle Association of Quebec (AVEC). That party broke the previous record of 305 EVs last year as part of the World Advanced Vehicle Expedition (WAVE) in Zurich but was beaten by WAVE's 507 EVs this year.

Wireless-charging station maker Evatran is doing what it can to expand its reach to Canada. The company just announced it will work with the Mr. Electric Franchise Group to distribute Evatran's Plugless wireless systems throughout the US and Canada. The Plugless system is already compatible with Nissan Leafelectric vehicles and Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-ins. Check out Evatran's press release below.

RICHMOND, Va., June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Evatran Group, Inc. ("Evatran"), in partnership with Mr. Electric Franchise Group, announced today that the companies have signed a Services Agreement to cover the installation of PLUGLESS wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging systems across the United States and Canada.

The PLUGLESS L2 is the world's first wireless charging system designed specifically for electric vehicles. After two years of field trials with partners such as Google, Hertz, and Duke Energy, and receiving the industry's only safety certification from Electronic Testing Laboratories (ETL), the PLUGLESS System is now available to individual Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt owners. The system charges as quickly as conventional corded systems and all vehicle features, such as charge-timers and phone applications, can be used seamlessly with the PLUGLESS system. Additional vehicles and model years will be announced this summer.

"Our partnership with Mr. Electric ensures that PLUGLESS Systems will be installed in homes across the country with the highest regard to customer convenience and safety," commented Rebecca Hough, Evatran CEO and Co-Founder. "We're thrilled with the positive feedback from our early PLUGLESS owners and look forward to installing additional systems with support from the Mr. Electric electrician network and our growing network of dealership partners."

Evatran and Mr. Electric have started training installers in key electric vehicle areas in the US and Canada, with additional geographies rolling out towards the fall of 2014.

"The PLUGLESS system brings exciting new options to the consumer and opens new doors of opportunity in EV and green technology," said Joel Worthington, president of Mr. Electric. "We're very excited to join with Evatran to bring the next wave of cutting-edge technology to the marketplace."

To learn more or to order a system for your own electric vehicle, visit www.pluglesspower.com.

About Evatran

The PLUGLESS™ Level 2 EV Charging System, developed by Evatran™, is the first electric vehicle (EV) charging system on the market to offer customers a simple way to charge their EVs with the ease of wireless technology. The Company is currently working with Oak Ridge National Lab on a three-year DOE grant to integrate high power wireless charging technology into production electric vehicles. Evatran has installed over 30 trial systems with partners across the country including Google, Duke Energy, and Hertz. The PLUGLESS System is currently available to Chevrolet Volt and Nissan LEAF owners, with more models launching in 2014. To learn more about PLUGLESS L2 or to reserve a wireless charging system for your own EV, visit www.pluglesspower.com.

About Mr. Electric®:

Established in 1994, Mr. Electric is a global franchise organization providing electrical installation and repair services. Recognized by Entrepreneur magazine among its "Franchise 500," Mr. Electric franchisees provide these services to both residential and commercial customers at almost 200 locations worldwide. Mr. Electric is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc., family of service franchises. For more information or to find the location nearest you, visit MrElectric.com.

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